Sheffield Wednesday dodged post-Birmingham City transfer bullet - Owls would've hated Xisco Munoz even more | OneFootball

Xisco Munoz's time at Sheffield Wednesday is still looked back on poorly by Owls fans, and it could have been even worse had he completed one deal.

Xisco Munoz's short time in charge of Sheffield Wednesday went down as one of the worst in the club's history, and over two years after he was sacked by the club, supporters still have incredibly bad memories of his tenure.

The Spaniard had enjoyed an incredible spell in the Championship prior to his move to the Owls, winning promotion to the Premier League with Watford. He lost only five of his 26 league games in charge of the Hornets in 2020/21, as the Hertfordshire outfit returned to the top flight at the first time of asking with a second-place finish.

While he was sacked just a couple of months into his first full season at Vicarage Road, he was given another chance in England just a couple of years later with the South Yorkshire side, and there were hopes that he could guide the club to safety following their promotion to the Championship.

However, in his 10 games in charge of Sheffield Wednesday in the league, he picked up just two points, losing eight times as the club sat rooted to the bottom of the table. Yet, his record could have been tarnished even further had he completed the signing of one former Birmingham City player.

Sheffield Wednesday avoided a transfer nightmare with Birmingham City forward

In the summer of 2023, Troy Deeney had left Blues after a two-year stint with his boyhood club. It was a move that had not gone overly well, despite the excitement in the weeks leading up to his debut, and he had scored just 11 league goals in 54 Championship appearances.

The now 37-year-old had played under Munoz at Watford, playing a supporting role as injuries took hold. However, alarm bells started to ring when he sent a message to his former boss after his arrival at Sheffield Wednesday, stating (via: Yorkshire Live): "Very excited for the coach. This could be perfect for both at this time."

With the Spaniard looking to add more quality to his forward line, he said soon after the links: "You know I have a good relationship with Troy [Deeney]. He is a good person and I love him. I have a lot of contact with him. But right now is the moment for what we can improve with all the situations.

"We are putting the focus on what the team needs and how we can stay in a good situation in the Championship. We are trying to find the players to improve the team."

However, a deal was never arranged, and this was the right decision considering the high wages that Deeney would likely have been asking for considering his history in the Premier League. Despite this rumoured interest, the forward instead moved to Forest Green Rovers in a player-coach role and just a few months later he was made manager.

Sheffield Wednesday recovered quickly after Xisco Munoz's shocking run

Sheffield Wednesday sacked Munoz on 4 October 2023, just a few months after he had replaced Darren Moore, and the club were forced to find a new head coach just weeks into their return to the Championship.

Danny Rohl was identified as his successor, a decision that proved crucial as the German kept the Owls in the second tier, despite their wretched start, and he helped the club progress on the pitch over the next year with a mid-table finish in 2024/25.

The decision to not sign Deeney was one of Munoz's few good moments at Hillsborough. In doing so, he saved the club wages that may have been spent on a player who was not up to the level at his age, and may have spent just one year with the team.

Meanwhile, the player himself dropped to League Two and had a really unsuccessful start to his managerial career. Deeney played just 18 more games in his career before retiring, and Sheffield Wednesday avoided a major problem by not agreeing a deal for him.